


Strange Tidings

by theNoke



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Smut, Comfort, Comfort Sex, Decisions, Declarations Of Love, Denial of Feelings, Difficult Decisions, Dorks in Love, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Love, Love Confessions, Mild Smut, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Romance, Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love, Unrequited Love, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:27:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21712198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theNoke/pseuds/theNoke
Summary: Okay, so I originally was going to start a different story but it was too similar to ones that were already published.I thought I would write about a farmer who originally DIDN'T want to keep the farm. I thought it was a neat perspective to take. I want this to not only be a love story between the eventual farmer and Harvey, but also a story about falling in love with the Town as a whole!I hope you guys enjoy my take on things! Some things in the beginning may differ from the typical SDV cannon.<3
Relationships: Harvey & Female Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey & Original Female Characters (Stardew Valley), Harvey (Stardew Valley)/Original Character(s), Harvey (Stardew Valley)/Original Female Character(s), Harvey/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 33





	1. The Plan

Miranda looked out of her apartment in ZuZu City. The lights below providing her with some existential feelings. It’s funny how the city always made her feel alone, almost hollow. She lifted the mug of earl grey tea she was holding up to her lips. The smell of bergamot was actively fighting the negativity in her life at the moment. 

Suddenly, there was a buzz at her door. Miranda got up, gently cradling her tea mug in the process, and waddled over to the door. She knew that when she would open the door, her fiancé would be on the other side of it. She should feel happier, given the circumstances-- but she didn’t. They had been together since college. He was a big wig real-estate agent now, traveling and selling property to big companies like JoJa. In fact, the only reason she can barely afford this apartment is because of him. 

She opened the door and there he was, Michael, in all of his post-gym glory. His flesh was still dewy from what was probably a two hour high intensity work out. He was a tall man, and an undercut graced his fine black hair. 

“Hey there.” His voice was deep, without even another glance, he pushed his way passed Miranda and set his gym bags down on the floor by her kitchen island. He was dressed in black shorts and a white, long sleeved compression shirt. Miranda watched as he moved around her kitchen to the fridge. He grabbed a bottle of Fiji water that he always makes sure she has stocked for him. 

Miranda noticed that she hadn’t even welcomed him into her apartment. She hurried over to his side, “How was your day today?”

Michael turned his head to look at her, his brown eyes looked almost black and lifeless, “Same old shit, different day.” With that he pulled out a stool and sat down at the counter. He brought his hands up to his temples and rubbed them desperately trying to relieve the tension of the day. 

Before Miranda could even think or respond, he started again, “Listen, I need to talk to you about your grandfather’s farmhouse.” 

Miranda felt her stomach drop slightly. She had wondered when they would be having this conversation. She had no idea it would be so soon, her grandfather only passed away three months ago. She went to take another sip of her tea, bracing herself for the upcoming conversation, then said, “You want to sell it, don’t you?”

Michael shook his head, “I do. I mean, it’s no use to us and I don’t for-see how it ever would be useful to us. Plus one of my buddies down at JoJa was thinking about constructing a warehouse, I think it would be perfect.” 

_Buddies._ Miranda doesn’t know any of Michael’s friends anymore. In college they hung around the same group of people, now everything is different. Although, she does see where he’s coming from. That old farm isn’t going to be anything besides another expense to her. She nodded, “I think that’s a good idea.” 

Michael looked over at her, shocked that she responded so well to the proposition, “Great.” The words didn’t sound real coming out of his mouth. “Thank you.” He proceeded to get up and wrap his arms around her. “You’ll get a nice sum of money from this, I hope you know.” He planted a sloppy kiss on her forehead. Nothing turns him on more than talking about money now-a-days.

That pleased her to hear, though. Unlike Michael, Miranda still only held an entry level position at JoJa so some extra cash will be nice to have. It’s not like she is really connected to that old farm anyway. He ruffled the curly brown hair on her head, “I want to get this process moving then, before the winter is over.”

Miranda hummed, “What do you need me to do then?” 

“Well,” he started, now turning her around to face him, “I’ll need you to head there this week. You’ll be in charge of cleaning up the place a bit, and then in a week or two I’ll bring my buddy out there to take a look.”

Miranda looked at him, completely shocked by it all, “I can’t just pick up an leave work, Mike.” 

Before she could put together another sentence, he raised her hand to silence her, “Your boss and I have been in communication about this already. He already said you can take all of the time you need, may even give you a promotion because of your generosity.” He winked at her and it made her uneasy.

Miranda just looked at him blankly. Apparently, she was the last person to know about this trade deal. This frustrated her slightly, but this is who her fiancé was. She was very happy for him, but sometimes he needed to act empathetically. Once again, Miranda wasn’t able to even get a word in. Michael was on the phone already talking about his latest real-estate conquest.

Miranda walked back over to the chaise by her window and took a seat. She watched the lights again, thinking about all of the things that led her to this moment. She would be in denial if she said that there wasn’t a small part of her that felt guilty. She wasn’t super close with her grandfather, but she knew that farm meant the world to him. But why in the world would he leave it to her? 

Mike finished up on the phone and made his way back over to Miranda. He took a seat down by her feet, and she looked at him with a forced smile. “Okay, Miranda. I am going to need you to pack up. I’ll drop you off at the farm tomorrow morning and you’ll start getting things ready. I know this is moving fast, but know that I appreciate your understanding nature.” 

Miranda didn’t really want to respond to his business deal demeanor, so she just reached down and took another sip of her tea that was now lukewarm. The sensation of the liquid made her shudder slightly. 

She watched as Mike got up and grabbed his bags, “I’ll see you tomorrow bright and early! Get some sleep now. Love you.”

“Love you.” She muttered back at him, but he was already on his way out the door on another phone call. A heavy sigh escaped Miranda’s chest. She never expected the evening to be such a roller coaster. With another glance out toward the city, she got up and prepared herself for bed. When she laid down on her bed, nausea set in pretty fast. She curled up into a fetal position, and hugged herself to sleep. 

************************

Miranda sat in the passenger seat of Michael’s black BMW, glancing down at the rock on her left hand. She never really liked diamonds, but Michael didn’t seem to remember that. She recalled a conversation of them eating pizza at a local joint by ZuZu University. She specifically told him that she wanted a simple wedding band. At that time he thought her idea was simple, yet beautiful. 

Michael broke her train of thought, “What’s on your mind?” 

Miranda looked over at him and just smiled, “Just making a to-do list in my head.” 

“You haven’t even seen the place yet.” Mike chuckled, but it was laced with snark. 

Miranda shrugged and said flatly, “Don’t ask what’s on my mind then.”

Michael didn’t respond, or even hear her. He was fiddling with the controls on his dashboard trying to accept a call. 

“Mike!” The voice rang on the other side of the bluetooth.

“Vince! How are ya?!” He replied with more enthusiasm than Miranda has seen from him in months. 

“Great! How are things on the farm?”

Mike ran a hand through his hair, “On our way there right now! Miranda will have it fixed up in no time to show it off!” Mike looked over at her and mouthed for her to agree with his statement.

“That’s right, Vince!” She said in the most obnoxiously fake voice she could muster up. She hated her self for how much she succeeded. 

Vince boomed back, “That’s my girl!” The words causes a shiver to overtake Miranda’s body. _That’s my girl. Gross._

Mike and Vince finished up their conversation as she gazed out of the window, trying to flush out their noise. Eventually they passed a sign that read “Welcome to the Valley” and she knew they were close. She hasn’t been in Pelican Town for years, but if her memories from her childhood served her right, they were only about twenty minutes away. With that, she breathed a huge sigh of relief. 

************************

It had been several hours since Mike had dropped her off. She hadn’t accomplished anything besides watching a Lifetime movie about a husband who was trying to kill his wife. She was about to start another movie, but there was an abrupt disturbance in her solitude. Miranda got up off of the dusty, old couch and made her way over to the farmhouse door. When she opened it, there was a resplendent woman on the other side. She had long, vibrant hair that was messily pulled back into a clip. Her wardrobe consisted of very earthy tones, and her face was peppered with feint freckles. 

“Hey there neighbor!” Her high pitched voice rang out as she pushed her way into the building. “I just wanted to drop by and say welcome!”

There it was, guilt. “Oh, hi, um, I think you have the wro-” Miranda started, but the woman was busy looking around. 

“I’ll help you clean this place up in no time!” The woman looked over at her with a brightness in her eyes that lit up Miranda’s soul. There was no point breaking this woman’s heart right now, there will be time for that later. Plus, she could really use the help around here anyway. “But for right now, you should join me for a drink at the local Saloon.”

Miranda was hesitant to accept her offer. There was really no point in going to the Saloon to get introduced to a bunch of people that she was only going to abandon in a week or so anyway. “I don’t know? I’m kind of tired and I didn’t even catch your name.”

“Oh my gosh, of course! I’m so sorry, my name is Robin. I am the local carpenter here. I was very close to your grandfather. I was wondering when you were going to make an appearance. He had always talked about you, you know!” She walked over to Miranda and pulled her in for a warm, tight hug. “But I won’t accept no for an answer, you must come with me tonight. It’ll be great to meet some of the people in town!”

Miranda didn’t really have a choice at this point. Robin was practically dragging her out of the house. Miranda looked down at her outfit and was slightly horrified. She was dressed in sweatpants and an old college t-shirt. She reached up to feel what kind of condition her hair was in, and was relieved to feel that it seemed to be in good shape. “ Robin I am not dressed to go out.”

“Nonsense! You are beautiful, and you aren’t in the city anymore. If anything you are overdressed for the Stardrop Saloon.” Her pull on Miranda intensified. Thankfully Robin was merciful and allowed her to put on your winter coat and an old pair of warm boots. She is certain she looks like a bum.

Robin pulled her outside and Miranda was horrified when Robin pulls out a key and locks the door for them. Miranda looks at her, wide-eyed. Robin let out a hearty laugh, “I did mention that I was close to your grandfather, right?” 

Miranda mindlessly nodded, but was still absolutely mortified. _How many keys did my grandfather give out?_ She thought to herself. Robin guided Miranda towards a dirt path, and the two walked together in silence for a bit. 

“So what made you come out to the Valley, city girl?” Robin asked, thick with sarcasm. 

Miranda shrugged, not ready to dive into that story yet. Plus, Robin could easily over power her and dump her dead body in the woods. Or even worse, open the door to her grandfather’s farmhouse when she was sleeping and murder her. Miranda just replied, “Just thought I would visit.”

Robin put her hands in her pocket, “So this isn’t permanent I take it?” 

Miranda shook her head with a sigh, “No, it’s not.” 

“Pity, I think you would fit into town here nicely.” Robin looked at Miranda from the corner of her eyes with a grin. Miranda looked over at Robin and just chuckled, “Thanks.” She didn’t want to like this woman, but she couldn’t help but find herself feeling comfortable on their walk. This was just going to make everything harder in the end. 

Finally they reached town, and Miranda froze at the entrance of town. Pelican Town was so... _beautiful_. The cobblestone paths were lightly dusted with snow, and it looked as if the town had just started to decorate for the Feast of the Winter Star. Bright, multi-colored lights hung from the buildings and the lampposts. The scene was straight out of a Hallmark movie her mother always made her watch. She didn’t think places like this actually existed. 

Robin snapped her out of her trance, rocking back and forth on her heels, “Beautiful isn’t it?”

All Miranda could do was nod in agreement. It truly was quaint, it was like nothing she had ever seen before. 

Robin laughed, “Come on, the Saloon is right over there.” 

Robin escorted Miranda the short distance, and held the door open for her when they reached the Saloon. When she entered the Saloon, she stomped her feet to get rid of the snow on her shoes. Robin called out from behind her, “Hey, Gus! Look who is here!”

Miranda felt her cheeks flush slightly, attention was not something she wanted during her stay here. Miranda waved at the bartender and he waved back, slightly confused. Robin shouted back at him, “It’s farmer George’s granddaughter!” 

Gus’ eyes lit up at that response, “Oh! Miranda! Please come in, your grandfather always talked about you!” Miranda felt slightly ashamed by his words, she never talked about her grandfather. In fact, the only time that Michael ever heard her mention her grandfather was when he passed away. 

Robin walked across the Saloon towards a handsome man in a blue polo, and promised to meet up with her in a bit. Miranda smiled and walked up to the bar to take a seat, anxiety flowing through her veins, “Nice to meet you.” 

“Anything you want tonight is on the house, okay?” Gus said. The portly man had the most gentle look on his face, it made Miranda queasy. Maybe the townspeople wouldn’t be upset she was selling her grandfather’s farm to JoJa? Who knows? 

“I couldn’t possibly-” Miranda started. She really didn’t want to accept kindness from these strangers.

“I will not be accepting your money, and that is final.” Gus forcefully placed his hand on the bar, “So what can I get for you?” 

Miranda was hesitant again. These people were wholesome, and she wasn’t supposed to be enjoying her time with them. She was supposed to be cleaning up the property. “I’ll have a jack and coke, if that’s okay?” 

Gus smiled, “Coming right up.” 

Miranda looked around the Saloon. There was a man standing by the fireplace, clinging to his pint for dear life. When he noticed her staring, he shot her a glare and she immediately looked away. She thought she was going crazy, but she swears she heard him growl at her. There was also another woman on the opposite side of the bar who already had her head down in a drunkin’ stupor. _Interesting._

The door opened behind her and a rush of cold, winter air followed. Miranda cozied into her coat at the sensation. She felt a presence next to her, and when she looked over there was a man making himself comfortable on a stool several spots away from her. He was dressed in a green jacket, and his hair looked thick and curly. When he looked over at her, she saw that his nose was pink from the cold air. He shot her a smile under his neatly groomed mustache, and she returned the favor half-heartedly. Usually she hated me with facial hair like his, but he pulled it off incredibly.

“Doctor Harvey! So happy you could join us this evening. Your usual?” Gus interjected into your staring. 

The man nodded his head, and pulled out a small book from his jacket pocket. _Who reads at the bar?_ Miranda turned back around as Gus was just finishing up her drink. “There you are.” He slid the glass over to her on a small black napkin. 

Miranda looked up at Gus, “Thanks.” 

Gus turned to the doctor, “Doctor, have you met the town’s newest member?” 

You start, immediately feeling the need to correct him, “Oh no, you see, I’m no-”

She stopped when the doctor looked at her. His eyes were wild, bright. She found herself lost for a second, until he said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Harvey, the town’s doctor.” 

His hand was extended for a shake. Miranda took his cold hand in hers and gave it a firm squeeze, introducing herself, “Likewise, I’m Miranda.” 

Harvey turned back to his book, but something within her wasn’t satisfied with their interaction. She blurted out, “Do you always read at bars?” _Smooth._

Harvey chuckled as she folded the corner of the page to save his spot, “As a matter of fact, yes. Is there a problem?”

Miranda bit the side of her cheek. She didn’t mean to come off rude, but she can understand how Harvey could have interpreted it as such. “I’m sorry, I am not really good at small talk.”

Harvey smiled softly at her, “I’m not either, I understand.” 

Both of them were facing one another, but neither said anything. Harvey avoided eye contact andMiranda pretended that she was looking around the Saloon. When she went to go say something, so did Harvey. They laughed at the awkwardness of their actions. Harvey gestured at her to proceed with whatever she had to say, so she did, “What are you reading?” 

Harvey picked up the book and showed her, “Just some historical interpretations regarding the witch trials in Europe. Nothing interesting.” 

Miranda took another sip of her drink, “Sounds interesting.”

Harvey shook his head as Gus slid his drink over to him. The doctor took a moment to nod at the bartender, and then looked back at her, “No really. I know this stuff isn’t everyones cup of tea. You don’t have to pretend to be interested.” 

Miranda looked at him with her eyes squinted, “Try me.” 

“You can’t be serious.” Harvey’s face was in total shock. 

Miranda raised her drink to him and finished it off, “Please.” 

Harvey looked away for a moment and had a studious look on his face. Miranda could tell that he probably never had people asking about these sorts of things. She gave him all the time he needed to gather his thoughts. Finally, he started, “Well there is one historian by the name of Zika who believes that the witch trials were perpetuated by the churches desire to prove the existence of Yoba. If they could prove that there were evil supernatural forces at work in witches, then there must also be good supernatural forces as well.” 

“Interesting.” Miranda thought for a minute, “Have you ever heard of the historian Sally Scully?” 

Harvey shook his head.

“Her interpretation claims that witchcraft was a way for women to exert their power in a male dominated world. That they were protectors of folk religions that were banished by the religion of the majority.” She stopped Gus as he was walking by to get her another beverage, and then continued, “I prefer that interpretation.”

Harvey looked at her with a flabbergasted expression. When she noticed, she couldn’t stop herself from giggling, “What?” 

Harvey cleared his throat and loosened his tie, “I’ve just don’t have anyone here in town who usually entertains my nonsense.” 

“It’s not nonsense. You like what you like, fuck anyone who say differently. But sadly, I’m not staying in town.” 

Harvey cocked his head at her, looking slightly sheepish in his confusion. 

“Between you and I, I’m actually thinking about selling the old farm.”

Miranda swirled the small straw that was in her drink, actively avoiding eye contact with Harvey.She could feel his gaze intensify.

“Why? To who?” Harvey’s voice was incredibly upset. 

“My... friend has a friend who is interested in buying it. He’s from JoJa.” She’s surprised she spilled the beans so freely, but she’s even more shocked that she lied about her fiancé. What motivated her to do that?  


“You can’t!” Harvey exclaimed incredibly loud. Several people in the Saloon looked over at them. Miranda urged Harvey to calm down. 

In a hushed tone, she replied, “Please, I’m in a hard spot right now. It would help me a lot.” 

“It wouldn’t help us!” Harvey looked as if he were furious with her. 

“It could though! It would provide jobs and bring in tourists.” 

Harvey ran his hands through his hair violently, “No, Pierre will go out of business and our environment will be destroyed.”

“Pierre?” Miranda had no idea what he was talking about. 

“If you need money so badly why don’t you just build the farm back up. I wasn’t here when it was up and running, I’m fairly new here, but everyone talks about how great it was.” 

Before she could think she said, “I can’t my.... friend would never move here, he’s the one who wants to sell it.” 

_Damn alcohol_. “Your friend? I don’t underst-” 

Before he could finish, Robin made her way back over to her, “You two seem to be getting along well!”

“Yeah.” Miranda says as she clumsily fumble with her jack and coke. 

“Good, that’s why I volunteered for you guys to go find a tree for the town square tomorrow!” Robin looked incredibly pleased with herself, but Miranda feels like she’s about to throw up at any moment now. 

“What?!” Harvey interjects, “Do you kno-”

“We would love to!” Miranda stands up abruptly and shouts to the entire Saloon. “You can count on us, right Doc?” 

Harvey looks like he is about to explode, but he quickly composes himself to reply, “Y-yes. You can count on us.”


	2. Renovation

_The next day....._

“How are things coming along?” Michael asked over the phone. 

Miranda wasn’t very good at lying to Mike, “Uh it’s great! Yeah!”

There was a silence that fell over the line. Mike was definitely a little suspicious of Miranda’s tone, “Are you sure?”

Miranda shook her head, as if Mike would have been able to see it, “Yep. Absolutely.” 

“Okay.” His tone was flat and demeaning, almost as if he were talking to a child. 

There was a knock at the door that provided Miranda with a lot of relief, “Uh, Mike I gotta go! Someone is here. Talk to you later!” 

Miranda hung up the phone before Mike was able to reply to her. She scrambled over to the door, glancing out of the window first to see who was there. _Robin_. 

Miranda open up the door and greeted her guest, “Robin!?” 

“Did you forget my name or are you surprised to see me?” Her laugh rang out infectiously throughout the room. 

Miranda was mostly just surprised. She really wasn’t expecting any guests today, at least not until Harvey came over later. She was dreading the whole excursion too. Robin cleared her throat in the background, waiting for Miranda to respond. Miranda feigned a chuckle and replied, “Sorry, rough night of sleep. Has me a little drowsy. What brings you here today?” 

Robin tossed a box of materials on the rustic, wooden table in the kitchen, “I’m here to help you clean up the place! I know Harvey will be here in a little so you guys can go find a tree, so I figured you could use a hand.” 

It’s true. Miranda needed all of the help that she could get. She hasn’t felt any motivation to clean or tidy up since getting here. If anything, she has only fallen morose. Miranda looked up at Robin, and with kind eyes and said, “Thanks, I could use some help actually.”

“Great! I brought some cleaning supplies and decorations!” Robin diligently looked through her box of goods, pulling out bottles of chemicals and rags. Miranda watched how soft and gentle Robin’s face looked as she did rummaged through her things, trying not to let the feelings of guilt creep up.

Miranda walked over to the box, “Here let me help you.” 

She pulled out window cleaner and bottles of pledge. Suddenly, she was struck by an image, one that she forgot completely. There was a picture of her and her grandfather in a simple, brown frame. Miranda let herself peer down at the object, numbness completely engulfing her. Her grandfather was a very handsome man, and this picture was taken right after she was born. He looked so proud in the picture, it made Miranda sick. 

“I brought that over for you! I found it in some of the things that your grandfather left me after he died. I thought you would like to hang it so you could look at it whenever you came to visit.” Robin’s words came out so lackadaisically. As if this is how things have always been, as if Miranda has lived here for years.

Miranda gulped and placed the frame down on the table, covering it with some rags, “Um yes. I’ll get around to that. Thanks.” 

Robin walked over to the kitchen and started running some hot water in a bucket, “You still upset about his death, kiddo?” 

Miranda shook her head, “No, that’s not it.” 

“You don’t have to talk about it.” Robin was growing increasingly aware of the pain in Miranda’s voice. 

Miranda didn’t want to talk about it but for some reason, she did, “I just wasn’t close to him towards the end of his life.”

Robin started to lower herself to the floor with the bucket. She placed a rag in the water and added some bleach, preparing herself to scrub the filth off of the kitchen floor. She glanced up, “Do you mind me asking why?”

Miranda made her way over to the windows, “I just grew up and thought I was better than everyone, I guess. I don’t really know what my problem was.” She started to bust herself, rubbing some Windex into one of the windows of the farmhouse. 

Grunting, Robin said, “Well... at least you have some self-awareness now. Grow from that.” 

Miranda looked back at the window, catching herself in the reflection for a moment. She had her grandfather’s eyes for sure, a piercing color of green. She contemplated Robin’s words for a moment. Grow from that. Miranda wanted nothing more than that. Recently, her life seemed to have been rushing by her and she was totally out of control. Between the wedding preparation and Mike’s constant desire to have the best things, Miranda lost herself.

“You just going to stare at yourself in the window all day?” Robin laughed, “No wonder you never accomplish anything.”

Miranda giggled slightly, “Sorry.” She returned to her work. They worked for a god part of the morning. Miranda learned that Robin was once a single mother until she met Demetrius. Now she has two children. From what Miranda can tell, the boy Sebastian, is causing her to worry greatly. Miranda wondered how many times her grandfather probably worried about her in the same regard. The thought sent a shudder through Miranda’s system. 

“So,” Robin said as they finished up their cleaning, “You and Harvey looked to get along pretty well last night, right?” 

Miranda shot a glance at the vibrant woman, who had an eyebrow raised, “Uh yeah sure! I guess you can say that.” 

Robin laughed and playfully threw her dust rag over at Miranda, “You should know that Harvey doesn’t frequently open up to people. So I’m surprised he made an exception for you.” 

Miranda really didn’t want to be having this conversation. But something intrigued her about what Robin said, “What do you mean he doesn’t? Isn’t he the town doctor?” 

“Well yeah! But that’s pretty much all we know about him. Even my daughter Maru, the one I told you about, doesn’t even know him personally.” Robin reached down into her box of wonder and pulled out a vase, “Anyway, can’t really find many flowers out now, so artificial will have to do.” 

Miranda watched as Robin delicately placed the fake sunflowers in the vase, “How old is Harvey exactly?” 

Robin tilted her head and admired the flowers on the table. Making sure every petal was in place, “He’s 35. Well actually, his birthday is in a week on the 14th.” 

Miranda’s heart sank into her stomach. _That’s the day we are selling the farm._ Before she could get another word out, there was a knock on the door. Miranda turned and reached for the door handle. When she opened the door, she saw Harvey standing there in the cold. His nose and cheeks were red. When their eyes met, Harvey looked down towards his feet, “Can I come in for a moment?” 

“Oh sure. Sorry.” Miranda stepped aside and let the doctor into the farmhouse. 

“Hey Doc!” Robin said cheerfully, “We were just talking about you.” 

Harvey grew visibly flustered, “W-wait... really?” He turned to Miranda for assurance, but she was equally flustered. 

Robin nodded, “All good things,” She moved to point at his shoes, “Although if you drag snow in here I can’t promise you I’ll be as kind next time.” 

Harvey looked down and practically jumped, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t think!” 

Harvey motioned to take his shoes off, but Miranda stopped him, No need, we should be leaving anyway, no?” She grabbed her winter coat off of the post and then finished off by wrapping a scarf around her neck.

Harvey looked at her and stared, “No gloves?” 

Miranda shot him a look, “Excuse me?” 

“It’s below freezing outside, and you aren’t going to wear gloves?” His expression was growing increasingly irritated.

“For your information, DAD, I don’t have gloves here with me.” 

Harvey, now painfully upset, started to take the gloves off of his hands. When he had both of them in his grip he handed them to Miranda, “Here. Wear them.” 

Miranda shook her head, “Absolutely not! Then what are you going to wear?” 

“Don’t be stubborn just take them. You’ll risk frostbite.” 

Before Miranda could decline again, Robin came over and handed her a pair of her glove, “Here, just take mine. I’ll probably still be here when you get back anyway.” Robin rolled her eyes as she walked away from them, she definitely intended for them to see her irritation.

Swiftly, Miranda put the gloves on and motioned for Harvey to move towards the door. 

Neither of them said anything when they left, slamming the door behind them in the process. Miranda looked over at Harvey, “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

He didn’t acknowledge her question, “You didn’t tell her yet, did you?” 

“That’s none of your business.” 

Harvey let out an angry laugh, “Actually it is my business, I live here and am going to be directly impacted by your decision while you prance back to the city to live happily ever after.” 

The pair began to walk towards the forrest of trees that had grown in on her grandfather’s property, “That’s not fair.”

Harvey threw his hands deep into his pockets, “Fine, it’s not. But you can’t blame me for being upset.” 

Miranda couldn’t deny that, “You’re right. You have every right to be upset, Harv.” 

Harvey stopped and looked down at the significantly smaller woman with a confused look. Miranda looked up at him, also unaware that she had just referred to Harvey as ‘Harv,’ “What?” 

Miranda could see the corners of Harvey’s mustache raise slightly, “Nothing. Let’s just drop it and find a tree.” 

“Thank you.” Miranda said sincerely. 

After a couple steps of quiet, Miranda felt the incessant need to question the doctor, “What do you do for fun around here? You know, besides read history books during happy hour?” Miranda couldn’t help but smile at her words, there was something incredibly charming about Harvey’s bar habits. 

He let out a chuckle, “Not much honestly.” 

Miranda furrowed her brow at him, “Come on. Now’s your time to open up! I’ll be heading back to the city and I promise I’ll take all of your secrets with me.” 

Snow started to fall around the two as Harvey let out a small shiver. He had a very thoughtful look on his face, and then he suddenly let all of the tension in his shoulders out in a sigh, “I like planes.” 

Miranda smiled at him, “Please be more specific than that.” 

“W-wait.” Harvey ran over to a tree, “What do you think about this tree?” 

“Hmmm...” Miranda cocked her head and squinted slightly, “Nope. Come here.” When Harvey reached her side, she pointed to a spot in the lower right corner of the tree, “See there, it’s a little barren.” 

“Right.” Harvey said in a whisper. 

They started to walk again. Harvey didn’t pick up where the conversation let off, so she piped up, “You were saying. Planes.” 

Harvey groaned, “I was hoping you’d forget.”

Miranda tapped on the side of her head with her index finger, “I’ve got a good memory.”

Harvey sighed, “I have a radio in my apartment. I like to try to communicate with planes flying overhead.” He ran a nervous hand through his curls, “I always wanted to be a pilot as a kid.” 

Miranda’s eyes lit up, she grabbed the sleeve on his coat, “Harv! That’s so cool! Why didn’t you pursue it?” 

Harvey looked down at Miranda, she looked child-like. The sight made his cheeks warm slightly, “I have horrible eyesight. Not to mention a crippling fear of heights.” 

Miranda’s countenance fell, “I’m sorry.” 

In an urgent tone, Harvey replied, “No, no please don’t feel bad. I love being a doctor. Besides, that was a childhood wish.”

“True. When I was a kid I really wanted to be surgeon believe it or not.” Miranda was shocked by her free admission. 

“We could have been colleagues! What a scary thought.” Harvey glanced at her from the corner of his eye with a grin. Miranda felt something spark inside of her core. Harvey, despite their differences, was being kind to her. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He grabbed Miranda by her shoulders and spun her around, “There that one.” His voice was low and husky. 

It took a moment for Miranda to see where he was pointing, but when she saw the tree, she immediately agreed. It was perfect. Triangular in shape and incredibly full. The bristles on the branches were supple and full of life. Miranda looked over at Harvey, “Is it bad that I feel badly for even thinking about cutting it down?” 

A hearty laugh left Harvey’s chest, “You and me both. But if we don’t get this tree back to Evelyn, she’s going to be furious with us.” 

“Who’s Evelyn?” There was a sudden change in Miranda’s mood. It caught even her off guard, what was this emotion that she was feeling so suddenly? It definitely felt like anger, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. 

They both started to walk over to the tree as Harvey crouched down with a saw, “She’s the town elder, married to George. He’s a grump. Funny, but a grump. They also live with...” Harvey stopped for a moment, a look of regret appearing across his face, “Uh never mind that.... but all of the decoration goes through Evelyn though.”

_Why am I relieved?_ Miranda thought to herself. She bent down to help Harvey, but as she was doing so he started to stand up. The top of his head whacked right into her chin, “OW!”

Harvey immediately grabbed Miranda’s face in his hands, paying no attention to his own head. He tilted her head up to get a better look at Miranda’s chin. With a sigh of relief, he gently rubbed his thumb over the area, “No sign of injury.” 

Miranda looked at Harvey’s face, completely taken aback by his gentle and selfless nature. She gazed into his green eyes, that seemed to be ablaze in the moment. His cheeks were even redder than they were before, probably from more exposure to the cold. A series of curls hung over his face. Harvey realized that he lingered too long and immediately pulled away from Miranda, S-sorry. Ju-Just wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

He crouched down and frantically started to hack away at the tree. It took several minutes, but he finally accomplished their mission. He quickly wrapped rope around the tree and handed one of the ends to Miranda to hold. “Now we have to drag this back to your-- I mean your grandfather’s house so Lewis can pick it up tonight.” 

The two heaved the moderately sized tree back to the front of the property.They placed it delicately against the side of the house and look back to the direction they came. 

“Winter would not be a good season to commit a crime.” Miranda said jokingly, looking at the trail they left coming out of the woods. 

“I guess you’re right. Thanks for the advice.” Harvey laughed again, causing another flutter in Miranda’s chest. What the fuck is happening? 

Harvey looked over at her, “Guess I should get going. Good luck with the rest of your stay here.”He started to walk away.

“W-wait!” Miranda shouted. She had no idea why, and she also had no idea how she was going to convince Harvey to stay, but she was going to. 

Harvey turned around and looked at her, “What is it?” His face is so soft. 

“Stay for dinner. I mean Robin is here too, and I owe you for... well... everything.” She shrugged slightly. She enjoyed Harvey’s company very much, she wasn’t ready for him to leave just yet. 

Harvey looked down at his watch, “I guess I can stay for a bit.” 

Miranda let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding, “Great, come on.” She ushered Harvey into the house with a nod of her head. 

When she opened the door, she realized Robin was gone. There was a note on the table:

Kiddo,

I finished up here. I hope you and Doc found a prize winning tree. Also, 

your cell phone kept ringing-- like nonstop. Definitely check it out. See

you soon!

Warm regards,

Robin

P.S: I hope you find my decorating satisfactory. 

Harvey flipped on the light, and Miranda was completely awestruck by all that Robin had accomplished in the time she was gone. Pictures hung on the walls, flowers graced the countertops. 

Miranda looked turned in a circle to take in the whole place, “I love it!” 

When she looked over at Harvey, he was leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, “It does look great.”

There was a flatness in his voice, and Miranda noticed. It wasn’t long until she realized why he was so apathetic. This isn’t her house and it’s not going to be. The realization caused a great deal of pain to strike Miranda. She fumbled with the note in her hand, and then read one of the lines again: _Also,_ _your cell phone kept ringing-- like nonstop_. “Shit” she exclaimed as she ran into her bedroom to grab her phone off of the charger. 

She saw that she had 31 missed calls from Mike. She frantically tapped the numbers on her phone to call him back.

“Where have you been?” Mike’s voice growled across the line. 

Miranda didn’t know how to respond, “I-- uh-- had an e-errand to run. I’m sorry.” 

At that moment, Harvey poked his head around the corner of the room, “Do you have any coffee?” 

_Shit._ Miranda pressed the phone close to her chest, praying that Mike didn’t hear Harvey. “No, I have cocoa though above the sink.”

Harvey gave her a concerned look, “Is everything okay?” 

She frantically shook her head, and in a high pitch voice she responded, “Yep! Terrific!”

Harvey definitely didn’t believe her, but he left the room without saying anything. Miranda put the phone back up to her ear, “S-sorry. What did you need?” She was sure Mike was going to freak out about hearing another man’s voice. 

“Who was that?” 

Her hands started to shake, she tried to say confidently, “Someone I had to run errands with today, to get the house ready.” 

She could hear Mike sigh over the other end of the phone, “I said no friends remember, just business. Don’t go getting attached.” 

“Right.” Honestly, Miranda was just happy that Mike didn’t freak out.

“Listen, I am going to be coming a couple of days early, maybe two-- I don’t know yet. But please make sure you hold up your end of the deal.” Mike was obviously irritated, “I just wanted to give you a heads up. 

“Thanks Mike.” 

“Mhmm. No problem. I’ll see you then.” There was a click to signify the end of the call, and Miranda fell onto the bed. 

“Hey.” She heard a soothing voice from the door way. When Miranda sat up, she saw Harvey. He was carrying two cups of hot chocolate in his hands. He moved over to where Miranda was sitting on the bed and sat down, handing her one of the cups. 

Miranda looked between him and the cup, “Thanks.” 

“Are you sure everything is alright?” There was concern written all over his face. 

Miranda shook her head, “Just fighting with a friend is all.”

Harvey took a sip of his hot chocolate, “Does this happen to be the same friend you are selling the farm to?” 

A heavy sigh left Miranda’s lips, “Yes.” 

Harvey stood up, “Come on, let’s go grab something to eat and talk more about our dead occupational dreams.” 

A lightness started to fall over Miranda, “That sounds surprisingly therapeutic.”


	3. A Red Scarf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I am officially back. There were a multitude of things that were going on in my life. Firstly, I graduated college! Woohoo!! Secondly, the holidays. Thirdly, I had a nasty ear infection. Lastly, I got a full-time job as a drug and alcohol counselor!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and expect weekly releases from here on out! Thanks to everyone who has continued to support me <3 Hope you all have a great 2020

“Do you need any help with that?” Miranda said as she stared at Harvey. He was searching through cupboards to find different cooking objects. He was deep in thought, so he only shook his head in reply as thick curls fell to cover his vision. 

Miranda sighed deeply, “I don’t really know where anything is either.” 

A laugh escaped Harvey’s lips, “Want to just grab a bite at the Saloon then?” The way he asked was so simple, almost if they had known each other for years. It took Miranda back for a moment. 

She thought for a moment before replying, “Sure, I don’t see why not?” 

Harvey nodded and started in the direction of his coat; Miranda followed his lead. They bundled up together for the the harsh winter cold, and started on their journey to the Stardrop. Once outside, Harvey proceeded to pack his hands in his pockets. Miranda guided a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and kept her gaze low to the ground. 

Harvey glanced over towards Miranda, “You look sad.” 

That statement made her grin, he was certainly observant. She looked over at him, “You look rather nosey.” 

A half-smile crossed his face, “Touché.” The crunching of their feet in the snow filled the air before Harvey pressed on,“All I’m saying is I’m here if you need to talk. I won’t pressure you to, but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about your phone conversation.”

_Tsk._ Miranda looked away, “You shouldn’t listen to other people’s conversations.”

“I wasn’t trying to listen!” There was a great deal of defensiveness in Harvey’s tone, “Your house is small and your walls are... thin.” 

“It’s not my house.” Her tone was defiant, short. 

Harvey chuckled, “That wasn’t the point Miranda.” 

Thick silence embraced both of them. Miranda really didn’t want to get into everything right now, but there was a magnetic force around Harvey. For some reason, she felt compelled to open up to him about things and she has only known him for a day and a half. “I was arguing with my.... friend.” 

Harvey only gave Miranda a small _‘hmmm’_ to acknowledge her words. Usually that response would frustrate her, but coming from Harvey it felt more _compassionate_. 

“And this whole thing with the farm, it’s really stressing me out, Harv.” 

Harvey inquired, “Why are you stressed out?” 

Miranda shrugged, “I don’t know.”

Harvey paused, and it took a couple of steps for Miranda to notice. When she turned around, she was facing him directly. The only light on their face coming from the full-moon of the evening. They stared at each other for a moment, until Harvey had the courage to say, “You like it here don’t you?”

Miranda felt her cheeks flush, “I haven’t even been here for two days.” 

Harvey kept a stoic expression, “That’s what makes it even worse, isn’t it?” 

There was a frustration that built within Miranda. However, instead of acting on it, she meditated on it. When she regained her composure, she spoke, “I wish you were wrong. I have only met a handful of people.... but all of them have been kind.” 

Starting to walk again, Harvey replied, “Then why sell the farm?” 

“It’s not my choice!” Miranda was practically pleading with Harvey.

“That’s nonsense, Miranda. You always have a choice.” Harvey continued to look forward. 

Miranda breathed deeply, “It’s Mike.”

“Mike?” Harvey was incredibly confused. The conversation so far has jumped all over the place, but that’s to be expected given the emotionality. 

“That’s the person who is encouraging me to sell the farm. He just, doesn’t think it will be necessary in the future.” 

“Is that really _his_ choice though, Miranda?” 

Before Miranda was able to answer, they were stopped by a voice in the distance, “Doctor Harvey!”

Harvey and Miranda whipped around to look who was approaching. A petite woman with a pink coat approached them. She was so bundled up that Miranda wondered how she even waddled over to them. 

A gentle look washed over Harvey’s face, “Jodi, how are you? Is Vincent feeling better?” 

A warm smile crossed Jodi’s face, “He’s great now! I think he will even be 100% to decorate the town tree tomorrow, and that’s all thanks to you, Doc.” 

There was a prideful look on Harvey’s face, but it wasn’t anything boastful. Miranda could tell that he throughly loved his job in this small town.

Jodi looked over at Miranda and was immediately horrified, “Oh! I am so sorry! I had no idea you were on a date!” 

Miranda and Harvey looked at one another and fumbled over their words together. They both ended up in laughter before Miranda spoke up, “We aren’t on a date. I am staying over at the old farm for a bit.” 

“Hypna Farm?!” Jodi was beaming, “You must be George’s granddaughter then, Miranda, right?” 

Miranda shook her head, slightly shameful.

Jodi brought Miranda in for a hug, “You are sogrown up and beautiful! I was wondering when you would get here. Your grandfather always wanted you to have the farm.” 

Miranda was able to glance at Harvey through Jodi’s embrace for a moment, and he threw her a sympathetic look, “Well I don’t know if I’m staying, I just needed a break from the city life.” 

Jodi broke the hug, “Well whether you use it as your forever home or a vacation home, I’m happy to have you here whenever.” Jodi turned to Harvey, “Take care of Miranda for us Harvey.” 

“Absolutely.” His words were simple, but so stern. Miranda only knew Harvey for a few days, but he sounded genuine in his care for her. _Don’t think too deeply about it,_ Miranda had to remind herself.

Jodi nudged Harvey with her mitten, “You know I am surprised Harvey even socialized with you, he’s always so quiet and to himself.” Jodi looked over at Miranda, “He must like you a lot, dear.”

Harvey’s face immediately turned bright red, but before he could say anything Jodi threw up a wave, “Have a good night guys.” 

Miranda waited until Jodi was out of sight before she pressed Harvey, “You know, that is the second person to say something to me about you entertaining me.” 

Harvey instinctively brought his hand to his neck, rubbing it furiously, “You were the one who harassed me at the bar, remember?” He started to walk away from Miranda, “Anyway we are almost there, come on. 

Miranda thought about it for a second, and then smiled wide. She paused for a moment and just admired Harvey, he was such a great guy. She hurried up and met him by his side, only looking forward. They entered into the Saloon together, and they grabbed a table in the far corner. Harvey took off his coat and rolled up the sleeves on his white button-up shirt. The sight made Miranda swallow hard, and she busied herself in her lap to keep her face from flushing. 

“Doctor! and?” A young woman with blue hair stood over the table. She was naturally beautiful with eyes golden like pools of honey.

“Miranda.”

“I’ve heard about you!” The woman reached out her hand and clumsily shook Miranda’s, “I’m Emily!” 

Miranda giggled, “It’s nice to meet you.” She took a moment to admire Emily’s appearance, “I love your dress.” 

“You do!?” Emily replied with a twirl, “I made it myself! I can make you one too!” 

“Emily makes clothes for everyone in town,” Harvey interjected, “One time she had to sew my pants in an emergency.”

Miranda leaned over the table, “Now that is a story I have to hear.”

Harvey looked shocked for a moment at how openly he admitted that mishap. Emily let out a hearty laugh, “Yeah! He was trying to help Alex lift boxes into my house and he tore his pants! I came to the rescue so he didn’t have to walk across town showing everyone his airplane boxers.”

Emily was bent over in half practically dying of laughter. Miranda couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of seeing Harvey in airplane boxers with ripped pants. But then the thought got carried away, and it escalated to the idea of Harvey in nothing but his boxers. Miranda immediately felt horrified that she would even entertain the idea, after all, she was engaged. 

Emily finally regained consciousness, “Jeez, you can cut the tension with a knife.” 

Harvey fumbled with the menu in his hands and stared a hole through it. Finally, he changed the subject, “I’ll take the salad tonight, Emily. And a glass of that strawberry wine Gus has on special.”

“Right!” Emily reached for the pad in her apron and scribbled down his order, “And for the lady?” 

“Uh... I’ll have the crispy bass special and a water.” Miranda folded up the menu and handed it to Emily, trying to forget about the events that just transpired. 

“It’ll be right out guys!” and with a smile, Emily left the table. 

Harvey let out a sigh as he put his elbows on the table and rested his forehead on his hands, “I’m not having goo luck tonight with my social anxiety.” 

“Harvey?” Miranda said, keeping her gaze steady on the table. He replied with a simple hmmm, and then Miranda asked her question, “Have you ever been in love?” 

Miranda noticed Harvey’s posture change in her periphery, and she immediately regretted her question, “I’m sorry, that was rude. You don’t have to answer that.”

“No, it’s okay.” He said as he cleared his throat, “I have been in love, a long time ago.” 

Miranda looked up at him, and his gaze was gentle upon her, “What happened?” 

Harvey shrugged, “We were high school sweet hearts. We both finished college, and I went to medical school and our priorities changed.” 

His words shot through Miranda’s core. The situation was eerily similar, “And you never regretted it?” 

Harvey smiled, “I didn’t. I mean I always wanted a family but I guess that just wasn’t in the cards for me, and I’m okay with that.” 

“It’s never too late to start something like a family, Harvey.” 

He nodded, “You’re right.” He paused for a moment, “How about you, have you ever been in love?” 

“I think so, once, but a similar situation happened to me too. We were college sweet hearts, if there is such a thing, but he was just more concerned with other people and... _things_. It got to the point where I felt alone with him.”

“I’m sorry, that’s an incredibly defeating feeling.” Harvey had a sincere look of sympathy on his face. The sight made Miranda slightly nauseous, the last thing she wanted was for Harvey to feel sorry for her considering she wasn’t telling the entire truth. 

“Don’t be sorry. It is what it is, you know?” She shrugged off the conversation as she noticed Emily approaching with their beverages.. They both shifted in their chairs to make sure that Emily had enough room to place the glasses in front of them.

“Anything I can get you guys while you wait for your food?” The blue haired goddess said with a smile. 

They both shook their heads and Emily was off in a hurry to her next table.Before Harvey and Miranda were able to continue their conversation, an unfamiliar face joined them, “Hey, Doc. Who’s you’re friend?” 

His eyes were green as they peered at Miranda, but they didn’t have the same life Harvey’s had, “Um, I’m Miranda.”

Miranda looked over at Harvey for reassurance, but he just looked incredibly annoyed. Miranda looked back at the man who was now sitting down at the table. He was ungodly tan for the middle of the winter season and his muscles were bulging out of his green shirt. He reached for Miranda’s hand and placed a kiss on the top of it, “I’m Alex.” 

Harvey immediately shot up from the table, “I need to be excused for a moment, sorry.” 

_Great, alone with this psychopath,_ Miranda thought. 

“How can I help you Alex?” Miranda said through her teeth. This guys was genuinely the first person in town that she hadn’t immediately adored. 

Alex leaned back into a laid back position, “Just wanted to say hi to the beautiful new visitor.” 

_Ah,_ Miranda said totally not in the mood for this shit. Before Miranda was able to excuse herself, Alex had already started to talk about his work out regiment and future career as a gridball player. By the end of his talk, Emily had already brought their food over to the table and Harvey was nowhere in sight. 

“Alex, I hate to cut you off, but I’m going to go find Harvey now. Thanks for... well I guess whatever this was.” With that Miranda was headed over to the bar area where Harvey sat next to a young woman. They seemed to be getting along well, and there was an odd emotion building up in Miranda’s stomach. 

Miranda sat down next to Harvey, “Hey.” 

Harvey turned around and almost looked shocked, “Hi.”

“Our food is at the table.” She reached to tuck a piece of hair behind her ears, “Also, next time, don’t leave me alone with bird brain.”

Harvey laughed, “I just figured you--”

Miranda crossed her arms, “What? Want to swoon over him?” A stifled laugh left her throat, “I would sooner swoon over the crispy bass that’s growing cold on my plate right now.” 

The woman that was sitting behind Harvey cleared her throat. Harvey turned around and frantically started, “Oh let me introduce you, Miranda! This is my nurse, Maru. She worked for me over at the clinic.” 

Miranda pushed away the uneasy feeling in her stomach, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maru.” 

“Likewise, I have heard a lot about you the last two days.” She threw Harvey a smirk, but he wasn’t entertained. 

Harvey gently pushed Miranda off her stool, and guided her towards the table, “W-well our food is going to get cold! Bye Maru!” 

Miranda and Harvey sat back down at their table and dove into their dishes. “Wow,” Miranda exclaimed after taking a few bites, “Maybe I will swoon over this bass.” 

“I’m glad you like it, Gus is a great chef.” Harvey said with his mouth half-full. Miranda could only nod in agreement. 

They both scarfed down their meals and finished off their wine glasses, “I am so full. You may have to carry me back to my farm.”

Harvey gave Miranda a look at the words _my farm_ , but she chose not to press the matter. Harvey reached for his wallet, but Miranda insisted that she pay for the meal. After several minutes of coaxing, Harvey gave in but secretly promised himself to make it up to her later. 

After they left the Saloon, Miranda walked Harvey back to his clinic, “Well, I guess this is you.” 

Harvey nodded and looked up at his apartment window. There was a great deal of sadness n his eyes, “I guess so.” 

Neither party made a move to leave each other, instead they stood there silently staring up at the building. Harvey eventually broke the silence, “You know, whatever you do with the farm-- well that’s your decision. But I will respect and support your decision either way.” 

Miranda didn’t know how to respond. She never had someone speak to her in such a way. She shuffled her feet underneath her and kicked up the snow. Tears were starting to form in her eyes, “Thank you, Harvey.” 

Harvey put his hand on her shoulder, “W-why... I’m s-sorry. Did I say something? I didn’t mean to offe-”

Miranda cut Harvey off with an embrace, “This has all just been so hard and you have been so kind... and you really shouldn’t be. I-I’m grateful.” 

Harvey wrapped his arms around Miranda and squeezed her. Her head fit perfectly under his chin, and he soon found himself intoxicated by the smell of her shampoo. They stood there for a moment that felt like forever. However, the cold night air was harsh and determined to tear them apart. Miranda started to shiver slightly. Harvey took the red scarf off of his neck and delicately wrapped it around Miranda’s, “You should get home and warm up.” 

Miranda nodded, even though she didn’t want to leave his side, “You’re right. I’ll see you tomorrow if you go to decorate the tree, I promised Robin I’d be there.”

Harvey smiled at her, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Miranda.” 

“Goodnight, Harvey.” She turned to walk away, her body becoming colder with each step that took her farther away from him. She pulled his scarf up over her nose and exhaled deeply. The smell, it was so him. Notes of coffee and book pages flooded her mind. It carried her home through the cold winter evening. 

When she entered the old, rickety house she threw her coat on the ground but gently folded the scarf into her chest. She made her way into her bedroom and sat down on the edge of her bed. “Shit.” She muttered to herself. This was much more complicated than she had originally expected it to be. The life she has had here in Pelican town has been more fulfilling than her several years spent in ZuZu City. And now, now there was Harvey. 

Still keeping the scarf in her hand, she reached over to her nightstand and picked up her phone. _37 missed messages and 17 missed calls_. Miranda thought about answering Mike, but she just placed her phone face down. Instead, she curled up in bed with her rental scarf and drifted off to sleep. 


End file.
